


Grow Your Light

by midget_boss



Series: One Universe Over [9]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Friendships, Gen, Jedi Council Friendly, Jedi Friendly, Obi-Wan Kenobi is Plotting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:28:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27170419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midget_boss/pseuds/midget_boss
Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi tries to find a solution to the ever growing problem of what to do with injured troopers and how to prepare all of the troopers for a life after the war. He finds he may be able to do both at once, but it will take more research and work than he can do alone.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi
Series: One Universe Over [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1924129
Comments: 13
Kudos: 163





	1. Research

**Author's Note:**

> This story is partly an exploration of how Obi-Wan might try to work on a project in between the demands of the war and his work as a councilor and partly an exploration of the number of problems the situation with the troopers could cause. It's nearly twice as long as An Underwater Experience, but it is complete.
> 
> Tags will be added as needed.

“Thank you for taking my com, Master Nu,” Obi-Wan said after the call connected.

“Master Kenobi, what can I help you with?” Master Jocasta Nu asked.

“I need some information,” Obi-Wan explained.

“Why else com me?” Master Nu asked dryly. Obi-Wan hid his wince.

“Yes, well, the information I require may not be in your purview,” Obi-Wan continued doggedly, then nearly rolled his eyes at himself. “That is to say.”

“Master Kenobi, neither of us has time to dance verbally,” Master Nu cut in smoothly. “Whether I have the information or not, not asking won’t help.”

Obi-Wan smiled wryly. “I suppose it won’t. My apologies, but I am reluctant to be straightforward over com lines.”

“Oh?” Master Nu studied him. “Is this about strategy?”

“No,” Obi-Wan replied as he considered how to word this. “It’s about personnel and resources. And the space for them.”

Master Nu looked intrigued now. “I see. You can, of course, send me any requests and I will compile what information I can, but you may find it more expedient to speak with the Corps.”

For a moment he drew a blank, but a memory from his younger years surfaced. The Service Corps branch of the Order should be particularly well suited for this topic. “I would like any information you feel of value, but I believe you are correct. Would you be able to transfer me to one of the Corps?”

“Of course, Master Kenobi,” Master Nu replied. Before the line transferred she said, “May the Force guide you.”

He shook his head and drummed his fingers on his desk. Obi-Wan should have taken the time to prepare how to frame his request, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of time slipping away from him. Meditation was not as much help as it once had been, with the Force lately feeling just as muddled as he did. No, that was an excuse. If he felt muddled during meditation, he was not practicing properly. Though he had much to do, he needed to create time in his schedule for disciplined meditation.

His gaze landed on the data pad in the center of the desk and he scowled. It had been waiting for him before he’d even gotten back on board containing orders for another battlefield a three-day jump away and expectations that they would arrive in two. In the beginning he’d thought the Senate just didn’t realize how long it took to clean up a battlefield or travel between areas. Now he knew that they didn’t care about either, just what they wanted.

No, that wasn’t fair. It was probably true for some senators, but the Senate as a whole was not responsible for this behavior. Like the Jedi Council, the military branch was trying to do work they hadn’t been properly trained for, guided by information that was decades, if not centuries, out of date. It rankled, though, that they continued to demand more than was reasonable. Were none of his reports and explanations getting through? Had none of the carefully crafted strategies he and Cody and a dozen others had both created and tested even been looked at?

It would be easy to blame the Chancellor, but he knew the easy path was the most deceptive. There were many things the Chancellor had to oversee. Those reports had probably never even made it to his office. Which is just one of the reasons he shouldn’t be in charge of the GAR, but the Senate had chosen to grant him that power. There was no point worrying about it when he had other, more pressing concerns. Last he knew Bail was trying to look into that situation. Maybe he would be able to get somewhere with it.

“Master Kenobi,” Jedi Ithorian Lun Tang said in surprise when the line connected. “What a surprise. How can I help you?”

“Jedi Lu Tang, thank you for accepting my com. I seek information.” Obi-Wan smiled reassuringly. It had been a long time since he’d needed to use his knowledge of the Ithorian language, but he enjoyed the opportunity.

“What kind of information?” Tang asked.

“I need to know about recovery and growth,” Obo-Wan replied. That sounded close enough.

“We have a list of worlds where our services are needed,” Tang pointed out. “Each must wait their turn.”

“It’s not for a world,” Obi-Wan replied carefully. “It’s for a people, scattered across many worlds at the moment, but they need to be re-centralized. What is needed to for a self-sustaining settlement? How do you get one started?”

“We are struggling to provide supplies as it is,” Tang said after a long pause. “Starting a new settlement isn’t easy, you know. And we cannot be flitting across the galaxy to find your wayward people. We are not escorts.”

“No,” Obi-Wan agreed slowly. “But what if they could be brought to you? Would you have room for additional help? Surely starting a new settlement would go more smoothly if they could learn the necessary skills first.”

“Possibly,” Tang agreed reluctantly. “But only limited numbers, and they would still end up spread out. There is only so much work to be done on one planet, which is why we have seven.”

Seven worlds should give them some room. He set the idea aside for later consideration. “I need only information at this time, Jedi Tang.”

“Recovery and growth for a community, you said?” Tang asked thoughtfully. “I will set some of the Initiates to the task.”

“I would appreciate it if they included a list of possible places that would be best suited to the effort,” Obi-Wan said quickly. “In case the numbers of potential workers outpace the need.”

“Of course, Master Kenobi,” Tang replied mildly. “It may be a few days, but you will have your information.”

“Thank you, Jedi Tang,” Obi-Wan said gratefully. “May the Force be with you.”

“And with you,” Tang replied before the line cut.

Obi-Wan stroked his chin as he sat back. For the first time he considered how daunting a task this might turn out to be. To make a wholly independent civilization from nothing would take time and work, but Bail’s information made it seem possible. Hopefully Jedi Tang’s students would present him with how it could be done, although he already knew the first hurtle would clearly be transport. Jedi Tang was right, the AgriCorps had important work they needed to do, and neither the time nor the resources to be ferrying troopers to any of their locations. He needed someone, or likely several people, to handle that and ships for them to use. It felt like he always needed more ships.

He thought of the men they had to leave behind with the promise that the medical frigates would get them eventually. There just weren’t enough frigates to be everywhere, and not enough space on them for everyone. Several times now the 14th had reported to him that the frigates arrived too late to help many of the troopers they had been sent to collect.

His com chimed and he answered without thinking. “Kenobi here.”

“General, we’ve got High General Koon on com line 1,” Radar reported.

“Put him through. And send Commander Cody to my office.” Obi-Wan set aside his little project for now. If he could prove the idea feasible, he could ask his fellow council members to help him solve how to make it happen.

“Master Kenobi, I’m glad to see you well,” Plo greeted him.

“Likewise, Master Koon,” Obi-Wan said with a smile. “I’ve read over these orders, but I’d like to hear your take on the situation.”

“What can I say?” Plo asked wearily. “The terrain is going to make air strikes a challenge, but that’s pretty typical.”

“Reports indicate the Separatists have been running bombing flights,” Obi-Wan said, frowning as he found that information. “Twice a day sometimes, but only in certain locations.”

“Commander Wolffe believes that it may be a ruse,” Plo told him. “What was your reasoning, Commander?”

“According to the reports, only two ships are used for a flight and they drop three or four bombs on one run,” Commander Wolffe reported. “And none of them actually hit anything important.”

“They may just be incompetent,” Obi-Wan said for the sake of argument.

“That’s more than incompetent,” Commander Wolffe growled.

“I agree, but we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, Commander,” Obi-Wan said patiently. He nodded when Cody knocked on the door frame. “There are several locations that have reported being hit, so something important to someone is being damaged, but if I’m reading this right the reports place a fair amount of distance between attacks, even when there are two flights in the same day. And not all of these reports came in the same day as the alleged attack. Can we correlate times to see if there are any overlaps?”

“We haven’t found any yet,” Commander Wolffe replied with a scowl.

“Can we pinpoint one location they may be coming from?” Cody asked as he sat beside Obi-Wan.

“We’re pretty sure they have to be coming from at least two locations,” Wolffe admitted grudgingly. “The ships being described don’t have the range to cover the whole area.”

“That makes sense,” Cody said thoughtfully. “But if they had two locations, why would they use such ineffectual tactics? Surely they would have more than just two planes to send.”

“My point exactly,” Commander Wolffe cried in exasperation.

“I’m sure the why will be made clear in time,” Plo said indulgently. “For now, we must focus on what we will do when we get there. We’ve got a tentative plan for you to look over during your jump.”

“Ah, thank you,” Obi-Wan replied with a smile. “We’ll make some notes and send those between jumps.”

“That would be appreciated,” Plo said gravely. “We’ll see you soon. May the Force be with you.”

“And with you.” Obi-Wan sighed when the line dropped.

“This plan isn’t very detailed,” Cody said dryly, staring at his data pad.

“Plenty of room for polish, then,” Obi-Wan replied cheerfully. He smiled at Cody’s unimpressed look.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things only seem to occur to us when we can't do anything about them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I updated the previous chapter to normalize my spelling of AgriCorps and add a single detail. I forgot to mention that Ithorian's don't generally speak Basic, so Obi-Wan is practicing his Ithorese. You can skip it and not miss anything.

Four days later Obi-Wan sat in the med bay, hoping Buzz would decide to let him go, when he got a message notification. He tried to lift his arm to look at it, but he couldn’t get it up far enough. Obi-Wan peered at it and realized that Buzz was holding his arm down.

“I need that,” Obi-Wan said mildly as he watched Buzz slip his com link off.

“Not right now, you don’t,” Buzz replied firmly. He handed the com link to his assistant. “Make sure the commander gets this. And bring a gown when you get back.”

“It’s a robe,” Obi-Wan muttered. “And I want mine, not just any robe.”

“It’s a med bay gown, because you’re not going anywhere,” Buzz informed him. He frowned as he surveyed Obi-Wan’s chest. “We’re going to have to cut off the under shirt and the tunic.”

“There’s no way around it?” Obi-Wan asked despondently. “I’m running out and the quarter master is threatening to get me a sewing machine.”

“Why would you need a sewing machine?” Buzz demanded as he pulled out his shears.

“So I can sew my own clothes,” Obi-Wan answered.

“Why would you have to sew your own clothes?” Buzz asked, baffled. “Does the quarter master sew them?”

“You know, I don’t actually know,” Obi-Wan replied, startled. “Maybe he does. That could explain why he gets so testy when I come for more.”

“The quarter masters on Kamino never got testy,” Buzz told him. “They got excited if they found some new thing to try to improve.”

“I don’t think Jedi Tien designs the clothes,” Obi-Wan said as he was helped out of his ruined tunic. “I’ve never gotten the impression that he had much imagination. Or any interest in it.”

“Why’s that?” Buzz asked as he carefully examined the gashes on Obi-Wan’s side.

“I once asked him if he had any Stewjoni garments,” Obi-Wan confessed breathlessly. He struggled to keep his voice even. “He threw my Initiates clothes at my head and told me he wasn’t there for fashion.”

“That seems specific,” Buzz said absently as he prepared to flush the wounds.

“I was born there,” Obi-Wan said with a wan smile. “I was going through a rough time and wanted some kind of connection to my birth place. It was just a phase.”

“Ok, I’m going to clean these. I want you to hold onto your shoulder to keep your arm out of the way,” Buzz instructed, carefully pulling the arm across his chest. “Once I’ve cleaned them I can determine if you need stitches or if bacta will be enough. Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Obi-Wan replied grimly as he braced himself.

He let his mind wander, hoping that the message had been from Lu Tang. The men he sent would need medics, he realized suddenly, since the AgriCorps didn’t have dedicated healers, none of the service corps did. If they needed a healer, they returned to Coruscant or found a private doctor on world. Or they would have to transfer after they were released. Obi-Wan focused on that thought so he would remember it when he had a chance to make a note of it. It helped him push away the pain.

……………………..

“Commander Cody, how are the men?” Obi-Wan asked later, when he had been cleaned up and dressed and settled in the private bay. He sat up in his med bunk with the mattress back as high as it would go.

“Good, sir,” Cody reported crisply as he entered. He studied Obi-Wan so intensely he wanted to squirm. “How are you, sir?”

“Mostly just tired and cold,” Obi-Wan replied wanly, ignoring the pain in his side. He pulled the thin blankets up around his shoulders. “These blankets are nothing compared to my robes. We should try to requisition better ones.”

“As you say, sir,” Cody said dryly. He knew as well as Obi-wan did that there were no options on requisition forms. You either asked for what they had and hoped to get it, or you didn’t ask and you got nothing.

“Did Cole bring you my com?” Obi-Wan asked hopefully.

“He did, sir,” Cody replied mildly, “but I’ve been told not to give it to you.”

“I need it,” Obi-Wan told him earnestly. “There’s something I need to remember for later and I need to make a note.”

“Buzz said no work, sir,” Cody informed him.

“This isn’t work, per say,” Obi-Wan told him, then frowned. “Well, it might not be work.”

“It’ll wait,” Buzz announced as he entered the room. “You should be resting.”

“I’m too cold to rest,” Obi-Wan grumbled. “And uncomfortable. Can’t I return to my quarters?”

“No,” Buzz said as he lowered the mattress until it was almost flat. “You will remain here, where I can keep an eye on you.”

“I don’t see how watching me be uncomfortable is helpful,” Obi-Wan groused. He caught Cody’s gaze. “Commander, would you check my message?”

“Sir?” Cody asked. He could say so much with one word.

“If it’s not a priority message,” Obi-Wan clarified, but the commander still looked uncomfortable. “Just let me know who it’s from and what the subject is.

Cody exchanged a look with Buzz.

“Please?” Obi-Wan nearly rolled his eyes when they stared at him. “It’ll help me sleep.”

“So will this hypo spray,” Buzz told him as he prepared it. Obi-Wan grimaced. He’d never liked the feeling of being drugged.

“It says it’s from Lu Tang of the AgriCorps, Talos Four,” Cody announced suddenly. Buzz made a disgruntled sound.

“Oh, good,” Obi-Wan murmured as the hypo spray hit. “There was something I needed to remember about that.” He trailed off as his eyes closed.

…………………….

The report was detailed, almost exhaustively so, and very dry. Two days later, when he finally convinced Buzz that he could at least read a report not related to work, Obi-Wan found it difficult to stay awake while reading. He’d caught himself twice starting to nod off, but he couldn’t help it. No matter which section he looked at, soil composition, the best crops for certain climates, the amount of food needed per individual, he just couldn’t help losing focus.

“It might be time for a break, sir,” Commander Cody announced. Obi-Wan jerked his head up, surprised.

“Commander, good day,” Obi-Wan greeted him groggily.

“Not going to invite me in?” Commander Cody asked mildly.

“You haven’t taken me up on the offer the last few times,” Obi-Wan pointed out wryly. “But why not? Please come in.”

“Thank you,” Cody said gravely as he stepped inside. He didn’t address the first statement. Probably thought it wasn’t worth mentioning.

“What can I do for you, Commander?” Obi-Wan asked, fighting the curl of his lips. He rubbed his eyes, as much for the distraction as to relieve the itchy feeling.

“Nothing, sir,” Cody answered mildly. “I just wanted to be sure you knew the ship is on schedule to arrive at Coruscant by three pm tomorrow afternoon. I have the requisition forms filled out and ready to be sent, along with the forms submitted from the 501st and the 41st Elite.”

“Thank you, Commander,” Obi-Wan replied. “Have either of them given us a timetable for their own arrival?”

“The 41st will be arriving the day after,” Cody answered. “If they stay on schedule, they will arrive at 11 am.”

“Good,” Obi-Wan murmured, stroking his chin. Luminara might be able to give him some insight on the matter. “What about the 501st?”

“They’re still bogged down on Randon,” Cody replied grimly.

“Do they need assistance?” Obi-Wan asked sharply.

“They haven’t requested any,” Cody replied.

Which could mean anything, knowing Anakin. Obi-wan longed to go to him and Ahsoka, and all of the 501st, but that would mean dragging the 212th into another battle while they were still reeling from the last, under supplied and under manned. And he was not free to go wherever he liked. This was a dilemma he had been trying to prepare himself for ever since Anakin was Knighted, evidently with little success. He was grateful they’d managed to get four months into this without him coming upon such a situation, but he found it was still a bitter pill to swallow.

Meditation. He needed to make time for some meditation so he could clear his head.

“Sir?” Cody asked hesitantly.

“I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan said wearily. He massaged the bridge of his nose. “I’m distracted today.”

“There’s nothing else to report, sir,” Cody told him. He hesitated for a long moment, then straightened up to stare at the wall over Obi-Wan’s head. “If that report isn’t sensitive, I could summarize it for you.”

“Do you know much about agriculture?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Agriculture, sir?” Cody looked at him in surprise.

“The growing of plants,” Obi-Wan explained. “That is what these reports are about, or most of them anyway. Growing things and all that comes with it, which it turns out is a lot more than I had ever imagined.”

“I didn’t know you were so interested, sir,” Cody said blandly.

“I’m often fascinated by life, not being very in touch with the Living Force myself, but it turns out the minutia of actually growing things is not where my interest lies,” Obi-Wan confessed quietly. “I’ve almost fallen asleep several times.”

“That might have more to do with your injuries,” Buzz told him. He stood in the door, frowning at them.

“No, I’m pretty sure it’s just boring,” Obi-Wan replied with a sigh. “I’ve never had a green thumb.”

“Why would you want one?” Buzz demanded as he walked over. He took the data pad and handed it to Cody. “Here, take this. You can give it back to him tomorrow.”

“There’s still plenty of afternoon left,” Obi-Wan argued as Buzz pulled out his scanner.

“It doesn’t matter, because if you’re falling asleep reading, you need more sleep,” Buzz said firmly. “Your temperature is still a little high, even though I gave you a fever reducer an hour ago.”

“It did help with the aching and the pain,” Obi-wan assured him. He allowed himself to be settled back against the bed, frowning when Buzz lowered it to halfway. “Reading is not strenuous.”

“Under normal conditions, no,” Buzz agreed patiently. “But when your body is trying to heal, it can be.”

“I won’t have time later,” Obi-Wan told him earnestly. “I’ve got a council meeting shortly after our arrival to prepare for.”

“I thought you said this isn’t work,” the medic demanded with a scowl.

“It isn’t,” Obi-wan assured him hastily. “But it is something I want to bring to their attention.”

“You’ll have time to prepare for it, since you’re going to be on leave for a few days,” Buzz assured him as he pulled up the blanket. “I imagine your healer will let you know when you can go back to work. I don’t want to mix medications, so we’re going to see if you can rest in a nice quiet room with no lights. I’ll check on you in a little while and if you’re not sleeping we’ll consider the options.”

“I’ll throw my whole schedule off if I sleep now,” Obi-Wan muttered.

“Three cracked ribs, fours lacerations, and a variety of bruises will do that,” Buzz agreed cheerfully. He gestured at Cody. “Commander, after you.”

Obi-Wan watched them go regretfully. The report had been boring, but it had been better than nothing. Well, he’d been thinking of meditating, anyway.


	3. Temple Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's supposed to be resting, but that doesn't always stop him. Today it barely manages to slow him down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief mention of the Negotiator's Tookas, Kotep and Galaar for those who don't know them.

Their arrival at the Temple was delayed by a surprise inspection. Obi-Wan was ‘temporarily’ released to help deal with it. Kotep and Galaar answered his call swiftly and were perfectly willing to snuggle in his spare robe in the corner of his bunk. He really needed to speak to the quarter master about getting a replacement.

It was a new person this time, someone named Lieutenant Commander Krennic. Obi-Wan got the impression he was either over-zealous or trying to dig himself out of trouble, because his inspection was exhaustive. By the time the young officer was satisfied, most of the afternoon had slipped away. He barely had time to catch a transport, direct it to the Temple instead of the GAR hangar, and hurry to the council chambers.

In the end it didn’t matter that he wasn’t ready with his presentation, because the meeting ran long anyway. Master Mundi had been convalescing recently, so to keep his mind occupied he’d been going over their reports. He had many comments to make about their tactics. While Obi-Wan agreed with some of it, they’d ended up arguing about the validity of intimidation tactics against a droid army. When Master Windu had called for a truce they’d been forced to agree to compile evidence for a future debate. He made a note on his pad as he walked into his room.

The emptiness was something he wasn’t quite used to yet. Not so long ago if he’d been away on his own for a short time he’d return to find Anakin sitting on the floor working on a small droid. That hadn’t happened in months and wasn’t likely to happen again. These days Anakin found him instead of waiting for him here. It was all part of growing up and moving on.

He went to make himself some tea, as much to occupy his hands as to get something to drink. The familiar motions were almost their own meditation at this point and he felt some of his tension ease. A good cup of tea sipped in quiet reflection would help him clear his head before he tackled his project. Obi-Wan had just settled on his couch when a knock sounded at the door. He sipped his tea as he went to answer it. No sense leaving it behind to get cold.

“Ah, Master Che,” Obi-Wan said with his most disarming smile and stepped back. “Do come in.”

“Your ship arrived at three,” Master Vokara Che said mildly as she entered. She stayed just inside the door as he closed it. “According to your medic, you were released on a **temporary** basis to help with an inspection shortly after, the important part being that it was supposed to be temporary. The inspection, according to your commander, concluded around two and a half hours later.”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan agreed, taken aback by that. She had spoken to both Buzz and Cody? Why?

“The logs indicate that you arrived at the Temple about a quarter before six,” Vokara continued. “And yet here we are, at half past eight, and I have reliable information that you just returned to your room.”

“Do you still have Initiates spying on people?” Obi-Wan asked curiously. He asked her every time she confronted him like this, although her answer was always the same.

“I still will not reveal my sources,” Vokara replied dryly, frowning. “That isn’t the point, anyway. You should have made your way straight to the Halls of Healing.”

“I had a council meeting I was already running late for,” Obi-Wan explained patiently.

“I know, because the attendants were happy to tell me that,” Vokara said flatly. “As a patient, you should have come to the Halls first, regardless of how late you were. Many of the council members must use a holo projection to attend. You could have done the same if your presence was needed that badly.”

“While you were examining me?” Obi-Wan demanded, aghast.

Vokara scowled. “Well, no. They would have had to wait until I was satisfied, which probably would have been good for them anyway.”

“I am not so badly off that I cannot sit in a chair and listen,” Obi-Wan assured her, willfully ignoring the times during his argument with Ki Adi that he’d had to pause to push aside the pain in his chest. He didn’t point out that the other council members only had limited times they were available, even for holo coms. Healers and medics tended to think that they came before everything else and fighting them on it made them more stubborn in his experience.

“I will be the judge of that,” Vokara informed him tartly.

“Of course,” Obi-Wan said, resigning himself to the inevitable. “Would you like a cup of tea?”

“I would like for you to follow me,” Vokara replied curtly, opening the door. “I have a room waiting for us.”

“As you say,” Obi-Wan agreed pleasantly. He sipped his tea defiantly on the way there.

…………………

“Well, I think two more rounds of healing will take care of most of it,” Vokara admitted reluctantly.

“Then I can go?” Obi-Wan asked hopefully as he put his under shirt back on. He quickly pulled on his outer tunic and his robes, relieved to be fully dressed again.

“I suppose,” Che agreed grudgingly. “With restrictions. You need a good night’s rest, so no staying up late pouring over reports. I want to see you in the morning for the first round and you are on light duty for a week.”

“A week is too long,” Obi-Wan protested.

“I can make it longer,” Vokara threatened. “Five days, Kenobi. You may do your paperwork and attend meetings as needed, but that’s it.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Obi-Wan told her with true regret. He picked up his empty tea cup from the nearby table. “The 212th must leave three days from now to get to our next destination in time. The orders from the Senate were very specific.”

“I see,” Vokara said coolly. “Then I suppose I will have to trust your medic, Buzz wasn’t it, to see that you stick to light duty while in transit.”

“I need to be fully ready to fight,” Obi-Wan protested.

“Then I suggest you take the time to rest properly,” Vokara informed him dryly. “And perhaps work on your healing meditation.”

“As you say,” Obi-Wan replied blandly with a technically perfect bow. He’d learned long ago it was the only response he could make that wouldn’t get him a night in the Halls. From the way she pursed her lips, his fellow master wasn’t fooled.

“I realize that there is much to do,” Vokara told him. “My staff and I are also very busy, as I’m sure you saw earlier.”

He had. The Halls had been half full as they walked to the private room. Usually he only saw a handful of Jedi here at a time.

“Working on reports is not strenuous,” Obi-Wan said, then added as she did, “under normal conditions.” He shrugged when she glared at him. “My Chief Medic told me that earlier.”

“You should listen to him, if you won’t listen to me,” Vokara told him. “You would be amazed by how much good rest actually does for the body. Stillness allows a body to focus on the work of healing.”

“I will keep that in mind,” Obi-Wan assured her. “Good night, Master Che.”

“Even tapping a data pad is work,” Vokara called after him. “Don’t forget the meditation.”

Healing meditation required the practitioner to focus on the healing needed and carefully push the body to provide it in the theory, but his lack of talent with the Living Force made it difficult for Obi-Wan to know whether he had the right amount of healing energy directed where he needed it. Contrary to Vokara’s belief, he had made it a weekly part of his meditation schedule before the war. Sadly, he hadn’t noticed much improvement.

There was no point dwelling on that at the moment when he had more immediate concerns. Thanks to his meditation earlier, he didn’t feel tired enough to sleep. While he could try a healing meditation, his skin still felt hyper sensitive from Vokara’s work. It would end up being a distraction that would waste time and energy. Instead, he would decide what kind of tea he wanted while working his way through his reports.

The Nubian White perhaps, with its gentle floral bouquet and mild stimulants? Or maybe the Tarine tea and its combination of fruit and mint? One of the Alderaanian teas? Maybe Freedom would be a good choice, with stronger stimulants than the White and a nice blend of herbs, including mint. If working settled his mind enough, he could even give healing meditation a try later. Maybe he would even remember what he had forgotten when his injuries were treated. It had something to do with healers.

He stopped in surprise when he rounded the corner out of the healing wing. Cody stood just inside the Temple entrance, dressed in his uniform. The man saluted when he spotted him. “Good evening, sir.”

“Good evening, Commander,” Obi-Wan replied as he walked forward. “Can I help you with something?”

“I didn’t have a chance to return this earlier, sir,” Cody said as he held out a data pad. He held himself very stiffly.

“Thank you,” Obi-Wan replied automatically as he took it. This must be the data pad Buzz took from him. He hadn’t had time to look through his bag before making the drop planet side. “Did you have a chance to look at it?”

“Some, sir,” Cody answered. His gaze moved to the right. “I’d like a copy of the information, sir.”

“You’re welcome to it,” Obi-wan said, bemused by the formality. “Why don’t you come with me and I’ll see if I have a data pad I can copy it to?”

“It can wait, sir,” Cody replied, relaxing a little.

“Nonsense,” Obi-Wan said, waving his hand as he turned. “It’s better to get it done while we both have time. Unless you had other plans?”

“No, sir.” Cody followed him.

“Have you been in the Temple before?” Obi-Wan asked as they walked to the lift.

“Not beyond the entrance,” Cody replied. “Sir.”

“You can relax a little,” Obi-Wan told him with a smile. “No one is going to judge you on whether or not you say sir here. They might judge me, but that’s a different matter altogether.”

“Sorry, sir,” Cody said. Out of the corner of his eye Obi-Wan caught his slight grimace as they exited the lift. “I’ll try not to be so stiff.”

“Whatever is most comfortable for you,” Obi-Wan said gently. He opened his door and turned on a light. “Please come in.”

Cody entered and tensed up again. “Are these your private rooms?”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan agreed as he headed for the kitchen. “The layout is fairly standard for a humanoid. Would you like some tea? I’m afraid I don’t keep caf on hand.”

“You’ve lived here a while?” Cody asked as he looked around.

“For more than a decade,” Obi-wan agreed. “Although that might be stretching it. We’ve been so busy that it sometimes feels like we haven’t lived here so much as stayed over in between missions. I may have spent more time on board the Negotiator these last few months than I have these rooms in the last few years.”

“Are all Jedi so busy?” Cody asked as he finally stepped into the room.

“I’m afraid I can’t say,” Obi-Wan answered honestly. He smiled a little ruefully. “I was made part of the council only recently, so I have only second hand information on how busy other Jedi were.”

He turned to observe Cody and wondered how it looked to him, with the two round seats and low table. There was no separation between the kitchen and the living room, except the small eating table. Light from the city shone through the three windows, highlighting his holoemitter, a necessary piece of equipment when you decide to focus on negotiation as a career path. Not that he had begun to study the Consular path, but he’d been preparing for it once Anakin became a Knight.

The decorations on the inner walls was a painting of flowers and a diagram of a fighter, courtesy of Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Anakin respectively. Maybe he should donate them. It would be a shame to keep them locked up here where no one would see them.

“Not interested in plants?” Cody asked dryly.

“Not in growing them, although I can appreciate their beauty sometimes,” Obi-Wan replied. He nodded at the painting. “That belonged to my Master.”

“Past tense?” Cody asked.

“Yes,” Obi-Wan replied softy. He cleared his throat and turned to grab his wooden box. “You never did say if you would like some tea. I have a decent collection here, much wider than the collection I have on the Negotiator.”

“I’ve never had any,” Cody admitted as he drew near. “Why do you leave it behind?”

“There wasn’t any room in my luggage that first time,” Obi-Wan replied with a shrug. “And honestly, I’m not sure where I’d put it if I did take it up with me.”

“You could take some of the tea, at least,” Cody pointed out. He stared at the collection and whistled. “You weren’t kidding.”

“I have everything from Tarine tea, a strong stimulant which some say is an acquired taste, to the delicate Nubian white, which tastes of flowers and is very mild.” Obi-Wan smiled as a thought occurred to him. “There are several from Mandalore.”

“The original trainers had tea,” Cody told him softly.

“Did you try any?” Obi-Wan asked.

“No.” Cody met his gaze briefly, then looked away again. “They didn’t share with the likes of us.”

Obi-Wan swallowed the lump in his throat and reached out in the Force to offer comfort before he remembered that the troopers don’t communicate that way, but Cody’s Force signature was like a wall. He asked quietly, “Is that why no one else seems to drink it?”

“Maybe,” Cody replied, relaxing again. “Some of us don’t want anything to do with them.”

“I see,” Obi-Wan said thoughtfully. “Does that include you?”

“It’s not that, sir,” Cody answered hesitantly. He stared at the tea.

“My Master loved tea,” Obi-Wan told him quietly. “When we first became partnered it was a … challenge, for both of us I think, although at the time I thought it was just me. My apprenticeship did not start smoothly and it didn’t flow smoothly for some time, even though our Force bond was quick and strong. We had to work to find common ground, just like myself and you men. Tea turned out to be the first step.” He picked out a tea bag. “This one, actually.”

Cody took it carefully. “Mandalorian sunrise,” he read.

“Poetic name, but I didn’t find it to be accurate even once during the year I stayed there,” Obi-Wan told him ruefully. “It’s got much too mellow a taste for that. But then, we were guarding a person who people were trying to assassinate, so that might have had something to do with it.”

“You spent a year on Mandalore?’ Cody asked, curiosity easing more of his tension.

“On the run, yes,” Obi-Wan replied with a smile as he picked out another bag. He made a mental note to check with the mind healers, if any of them were in the Temple. Jedi and troopers were trained to deal with trauma to differing extents, but there was only so much a person could cope with. At the next meeting he needed to bring up the topic again if Plo didn’t. They could all use some guidance in this area, if it could be made available. “Let’s make this, then we’ll sit down and see how much I can remember.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seem to write Obi-Wan's planning process much like my own. Cody is a little tense here because he's never had a Jedi invite him back to their room in the Temple before, much less a general, and no one has told him anything about how he's supposed to act in this situation.


	4. Arrangements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan finds there's not a whole lot of difference in his routine, whether he's on the Negotiator or in the Temple. He still has only a limited amount of control over it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't found any information about what the dining area of the Temple is like or how any Jedi who like to cook would get food, so this may not be one hundred percent accurate.

Obi-Wan had just finished brewing a pot of tea early the next morning when someone knocked. He sincerely hoped this wasn’t going to become a habit. At least on the Negotiator no one disturbed him before eight if they didn’t have a mission scheduled, except for emergencies.

“Good morning, general,” Boil greeted with a salute. He stood perfectly straight and looked over his Obi-Wan’s shoulder. Many of the troopers in Ghost company did the exact same thing when they weren’t sure if they should tell him something, but they didn’t know who else to tell.

“Boil, good morning,” Obi-Wan responded, bemused. “It’s an off duty day. Why are you up and about so early?”

“Can I come in, sir?” Boil asked, glancing around. Obi-Wan registered that he was in his uniform, not his armor, and he looked worried.

“Of course,” Obi-Wan said, moving out of the way. “I’m sorry, how rude of me. Is something wrong?”

“Well, it’s like this, sir,” Boil began, but stopped when he spotted the nearest seat. Or rather, the boots sitting next to it.

“Boil,” Cody said as he walked out of the fresher. “Is there a problem?”

“Apparently not,” Boil snapped. “We were freaking out because you didn’t come back last night. Did something happen?”

“No,” Cody replied as he walked over. He put his boots on. Then he squared his shoulders and met Boil’s gaze.

Obi-Wan left them to it. He poured himself a cup, then doctored it a little because he was suddenly sure he would need extra fortification. There was a whispered conversation going on behind him, but no sound of footsteps. To stay out of the way, Obi-Wan checked his cabinets and his cooler. There was an opened box of crackers, likely stale by now or Anakin would have eaten them the last time he was here. Breakfast was out, then.

“Would either of you like a cup of tea?” Obi-Wan asked hesitantly after several minutes of silence. He peeked over his shoulder to find them both watching him.

“Cabinets look pretty empty,” Boil announced dryly. It was remarkable how much disapproval the men could pack into just a few words without changing inflection.

“Yes, I’m afraid that I can’t offer you breakfast,” Obi-Wan admitted, his ears heating up. “I’m sorry. If I had known I would have guests this early, I would have tried to get something from the commissary.”

“The Temple has a commissary?” Boil demanded. “Like the one in Barracks Square?”

“Ours is connected to the cafeteria,” Obi-Wan agreed with a slight smile.

“There’s also a cafeteria?” Boil demanded.

“Not all Jedi can cook, or want to and sometimes our stays at the Temple are only long enough for a meal or two,” Obi-Wan explained. “When we plan to be in the Temple for longer periods pf time we’ve found it’s much more convenient to requisition food from the commissary, instead of going out to a shop. That also allows us to donate unused food, since there’s no point leaving it behind to rot when someone else could use it.”

“You requisition food here?” Cody asked, bewildered.

“Well, not as such,” Obi-Wan backtracked. “It’s more like picking out what you’ll need, the same as any other kind of shopping, but you don’t actually pay for it. There’s an allocation system that helps the people in charge keep track of what they have so they know what they need. There’s more to it than that, but the finances aren’t really my area of expertise.”

“You get food to cook from the commissary?” Boil demanded. “That’s here in the Temple, connected to a cafeteria. And they aren’t ration packs?”

“Why don’t I show you how it works?” Obi-Wan smiled at them encouragingly. Cody and Boil exchanged a look.

“Why not?” Boil replied with a shrug. “I could use some food.”

…………………

“That was … enlightening,” Cody announced as they headed back to his rooms. Obi-Wan smiled at him.

“Not what you expected, commander?” he asked teasingly.

“No, sir,” Cody agreed. One corner of his mouth twitched up. “Not what any of us would have thought. You might want to warn the staff to expect random guests for a while, since Boil is probably already telling everyone who will listen. Or I can order them to stay away.”

“I think you’ll find the staff are quite able to handle unexpected guests,” Obi-Wan assured him, amused. “They’ll let everyone know if they don’t want anyone coming around.”

“I don’t doubt that, sir, not after Jedi Tulenth’s speech,” Cody replied, a slight smile crossing his lips.

“There’s a reason she’s run the commissary for longer than I can remember,” Obi-Wan said with a hum.

“How old is she?” Cody inquired.

“Too old to answer,” Obi-Wan told him with a mischievous grin. “That’s the answer I got when I dared to ask.”

“How long ago was that?” Cody watched him out of the corner of his eye. At least the younger man was more relaxed today.

“A long time,” Obi-Wan replied. Longer than this man had even been alive and quite possibly longer than he would even live, and wasn’t that a tragic thought. He felt a pang of unexpected sympathy for Yoda. The other master had seen generations grow and die.

“Will you be in trouble?” Obi-Wan asked quietly when they entered his rooms. “Boil seemed very upset when he arrived.”

“I should have checked in,” Cody admitted with a shrug. “But no. While the barracks do have lights out and the enlisted had better be in their bunks on time, officers have a little more leeway.”

“That’s good,” Obi-Wan said with relief. “I’d hate for you to be in trouble, especially since I was the one who kept talking until you nearly fell asleep where you sat.”

“I didn’t complain,” Cody reminded him. “That doesn’t mean I won’t hear about it, though.”

“Boil and whoever sent him?” Obi-Wan asked, amused. He walked over to his tea pot.

“I’ll be lucky if it’s just them,” Cody muttered as he picked up a data pad. He shook his head when Obi-Wan looked up. “Never mind, sir. I’ll take the personnel lists and weapons if you’ll take food and medical supplies.”

“Are those the only ones in so far?” Obi-Wan asked as he put the kettle back on.

“Yes, sir,” Cody replied. “Nothing so far from the repair crew and they won’t refuel until that’s done.”

“Of course.” Obi-Wan sighed as he came back for his own data pad. He saw the article they had been discussing the previous night. “Here, before we start, let me transfer those files so I don’t forget again.”

“Thank you, sir.”

For several hours they worked quietly, only speaking when they needed to check something. At one point Cody got up and walked to the kitchen, murmuring something all the while, but he didn’t seem to be talking to him so Obi-Wan continued working. He only had one more page of supplies to look through when there was a knock at his door.

“My, I am popular today,” Obi-Wan murmured as he rose. He slid a glance over to Cody. “Or perhaps you are.”

“Pretty sure it’s not for me,” Cody told him cheerfully.

“Well that doesn’t sound suspicious,” Obi-Wan said wryly as he opened the door. He wasn’t surprised by what he found. “Ah, Buzz, what can I do for you this fine morning?”

“Afternoon, general,” Buzz replied as he stepped inside. “It is in fact after noon. Commander Cody.”

“Sargent Buzz,” Cody nodded at him in greeting.

“I got a com from your Healer Che this morning, general,” Buzz went on as he walked over to the couch. “She invited me over so we could work out a schedule for your recovery, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

“I see,” Obi-Wan said, bemused.

“She also provided me with some very informative reading material I’ll be going over and passing along as I feel the need,” Buzz continued. “Did you know, Commander, that there are a few ways to tell if a Jedi is sleeping or just meditating while lying down?”

“How very thoughtful of Healer Che,” Obi-Wan muttered. He had a bad feeling about this.

“It was,” Buzz agreed. Both troopers looked perfectly blank, but Obi-Wan was convinced they were laughing at him. “Since you missed your first appointment this morning, we’ve arranged an appointment at six pm, sir.”

“Missed my …?” Obi-Wan trailed off and closed his eyes. He’d forgotten to set a reminder last night and hadn’t even thought about it this morning.

“Six pm, sir,” Buzz repeated cheerfully. “I was going to mention it over lunch.”

“Lunch?” Obi-Wan asked, bewildered again. He didn’t like the way Buzz’s eyes narrowed.

“I heard from Boil there’s a commissary here,” Buzz replied. “He was very impressed, so I’m looking forward to it.”

“Yes, well, we’re not quite finished with these reports,” Obi-Wan told him. “Feel free to go on ahead.”

“I’m finished with mine,” Cody said as he clicked something.

“You needn’t linger on my account,” Obi-Wan assured them as he retrieved his own data pad. “I’ll just finish this last one before I head out.”

“It would be weird, us eating there without you,” Buzz said as he made himself comfortable. “We’ll just wait.”

“I see no reason you should have to do that,” Obi-Wan argued. “No one in the commissary will think it’s weird.”

“I think it’s weird,” Buzz retorted.

“Why?” Obi-Wan demanded, exasperated.

“Why are we even arguing?” Buzz scowled at him. “You’re wasting time. Hurry up, I want to eat.”

“My point is that you can go eat whenever you want,” Obi-Wan said as he turned his attention back to his report.

“That’s exactly what I’m doing,” Buzz assured him.

“You sitting here isn’t doing either of us any good,” Obi-Wan muttered. He decided to read each line twice, as slowly as he could.

“I’m on to you,” Buzz announced flatly. “I’ve seen you read reports faster.”

“I’m just double checking,” Obi-Wan said innocently. “I wouldn’t want there to be a shortage on medical supplies.”

Buzz snorted and rose. He went to the nearest wall to stare at the diagram. Obi-Wan continued to read as slowly as he could, but eventually he had to give in.

“I’m finished,” Obi-Wan announced.

“About time,” Buzz grumbled, turning from the painting of an Alderaanian flame-lily to cross swiftly to the door. “Let’s go.”

……………….

“Master Kenobi,” Jedi Jambe Lu called, catching his attention just outside of the Halls of Healing that evening. The young man bowed, his brown hair flopping into his brown eyes a little as he straightened. “Jedi Tang sent word that you were looking for help.”

“I am, indeed, Jedi Lu,” Ob-Wan replied, bowing in turn. “I am currently headed to dinner. If you haven’t eaten, will you join me?”

“I’d like that. Thank you, Master,” Lu replied with a smile.

“May I ask what Jedi Tang told you?” Obi-Wan inquired as they walked.

“Only that you were looking to unload a bunch of refugees on us,” Lu answered with a shrug.

“I see.” Obi-Wan fought a smile. “That sounds like it would be a bad thing.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Lu said with a shrug. “We like helping people. That’s what all Jedi are here for, right? And they’re going to want to learn, right? A lot of the places we go, they don’t want to know how it’s done, they just want it done for them or supplies delivered.”

“A lot of places are like that?” Obi-Wan asked curiously.

“Probably not, but it feels like it,” Lu admitted with a sigh. He grabbed a tray and began filling it.

“Well, I’m certain most of these people will be very eager to learn whatever they can,” Obi-Wan told him as he did the same. “Most, mind you.”

“We know some of them aren’t going to be able to help,” Lu assured him. “Not at first and maybe not ever. Refugees sometimes have a hard time starting over.”

“Many people often find it difficult,” Obi-Wan told him quietly.

“That’s part of why the Service Corps is so important,” Lu agreed as they sat at a vacant table. “There’s all kinds of work to be done, not just growing crops. It took me a while to really grasp that.”

“That’s admirable,” Obi-Wan said with a smile. The young man ducked his head and applied himself to his food, so Obi-Wan did as well.

“I’m a pilot,” Lu announced when he’d finished his meal.

Obi-Wan considered that. “I’m guessing Jedi Tang mentioned that we aren’t yet sure how to transport your new coworkers?”

“Got it in one,” Lu said with a grin. “Each world has three cargo haulers, of course, but we’re hard pressed keeping shipments going. We can pick up passengers here and there as we deliver supplies, but we can’t make special trips.”

“Yes, Jedi Tang mentioned that,” Obi-Wan murmured thoughtfully. “Do you have a set schedule?”

“For the most part,” Lu answered. “Why?”

“I will try to arrange a way to get people to your drop points,” Obi-Wan explained. “I’ll need to know how many you can take on in each place.”

“Of course,” Lu agreed cheerfully. “I’ve also got a list of the other pilots and their coms for you.”

“Excellent.” Obi-Wan beamed at him. “Let me fetch a data pad from my room and I’ll meet you in the library.”

“I’ll be waiting over by the older data banks,” Lu told him. He rubbed the back of his neck. “They’re the farthest away from Master Nu’s desk.”

“Not on her good list at the moment?” Obi-Wan asked as he rose with his tray.

“I may have brought an unidentified plant in there the last time I was here, to see if I could identify it,” Lu admitted sheepishly.

“I did something similar in my youth,” Obi-Wan confided to him. “Does your data bank have an alcove we can hide in?”

“It does,” Lu assured him with a grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I firmly believe Obi-Wan is a troll whenever he can be.


	5. An Outline of a Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan is aware that having multiple points of view on a plan usually leads to a better plan, as long as everyone is in agreement on what the outcome should be.

At eight o’clock the next morning Luminara arrived at his door. She was alone, which surprised him.

“Is Padawan Offee well?” Obi-Wan asked as he let her in.

“Bariss is fine,” Luminara assured him. “She has a presentation to give in a few hours and wanted to run it by her friends first.”

“Ah, presentations,” Obi-Wan said with a fond smile.

“Bariss is not as fond of them as you are,” Luminara informed him. She took a seat on the couch and picked up a tea cup. “She doesn’t have your dramatic tendencies.”

“Dramatic? Me?” Obi-Wan asked, eyes appropriately wide. “My dear, I don’t know where you got that idea.”

“I wonder,” Luminara replied dryly. “Your message was rather vague.”

“Straight to the point, then,” Obi-Wan said. He smiled gently at her when she looked startled. “No, you’re right. We don’t have any time to dally if I’m going to make an initial report before I ship out again.”

“Report on what?” Luminara asked curiously.

“I’m trying to arrange to have the troopers deemed too injured to return to duty transported to the worlds the AgriCorps are working on,” Obi-Wan told her. “Well, right now it’s actually to worlds they stop at. I’ve spoken with a few of their pilots and made arrangements for them to pick up a certain number at a time for transport during their scheduled stops.”

“I see,” Luminara said as she put her cup down. “And what happens then?”

“Well, once they get to the worlds, they will learn the trades that the service corps teaches,” Obi-Wan explained. He handed her his data pad. “My hope is that eventually we’ll have enough of them trained to build a community on a different world.”

“That is ambitious,” Luminara stated as she read his summary.

“Perhaps,” Obi-Wan admitted ruefully. “Especially when you consider I have no idea what world we might find that would be able to support them, however many survive the war.”

“If they are too injured to fight, how will they do this work?” Luminara inquired.

“Have you seen some of the injuries they deem ‘too injured’?” Obi-Wan asked dryly. “I expect many of them will need extensive therapy and rehabilitation at the med bases until they are ready to be moved, but there are those with less prominent injuries that may be able to start sooner.”

“And what of those with no injuries?” Luminara asked carefully.

“Or injuries that can’t be seen?” Obi-Wan smiled sadly when she inclined her head. “There will be space for them. I imagine the ones who want to go will be the first transferred there.”

“The numbers will rise rapidly,” Luminara cautioned. “Especially once word gets out. Not that I doubt the loyalty and dedication of most of the men, but in spite of what the Kaminoans and the Senate believe, not all of the clones are actually meant for war.”

“Troopers and we can’t let it be widely known,” Obi-Wan told her. “There are too many people who would try to take advantage of it. Or the warmongers would twist it to say that they could still fight somehow. They’d end up fighting again, one way or another, and the point is for them to learn to build their own community.”

“If no one can know about it, how do we get them to these planets?” Luminara questioned. “It is not usually our way to deal in subterfuge like this, unless necessary.”

“That is where I’m stuck at the moment,” Obi-Wan admitted wryly. “I would prefer not to have to do it this way, but our options are limited.”

“Why did you bring this to me?” Luminara studied him. “I am not in charge of any fleet.”

“If any of the fleets start acting oddly, someone will pay attention,” Obi-Wan assured her. “We had a surprise inspection just after a battle because of one incident that had nothing to do with the ships.”

“What happened?” Luminara asked curiously.

“That’s not important right now,” Obi-Wan told her. “The important thing is, this cannot go through the fleets. We may need help from outside the Order.”

“If the council agrees to any of this,” Luminara mused thoughtfully. “The Service Corps are already very busy, too busy perhaps to be starting new courses every week.”

“I’m sure those men who can will help,” Obi-Wan insisted. “And once the first ones graduate, they can take on training and education of those who come after.”

“They will still be a burden for a time,” Luminara pointed out.

“We’ll have to send limited numbers at first,” Obi-Wan agreed. “It would help if we could offset the cost as much as possible.”

“It seems the plan is for many of them to be shipped from med stations,” Luminara mused. “Or off loaded from medical frigates.”

“The frigates should be the easier of the two,” Obi-Wan told her. “They at least can go to a certain planet when they can’t pick up anyone else.”

“True,” Luminara said slowly. “What about the transports to and from the med stations? They bring them supplies, correct?”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan replied. He stroked his beard as he thought. “None of them come from the AgriCorps, though. They come from the worlds that help supply our ration packs.” They both grimaced.

“Some could possibly be persuaded to make an extra drop,” Luminara suggested.

“Possibly, but I’d rather have something more reliable,” Obi-Wan said. “If they’re willing to make unscheduled drops, they might be willing to take them to anyone who will pay for it.”

“How many ships have you lost recently?” Luminara asked suddenly. “Transport ships, I mean.”

“Only one,” Obi-Wan answered, bemused. “And we marked it for salvage.”

“It would be a shame to lose any more transport ships,” Luminara told him. “They are useful for their function.”

“They are,” Obi-Wan agreed. “We can only request so many replacements, though, or try to pay for them ourselves.”

“I imagine the council would not be fond of that,” Luminara said dryly.

“Definitely not.” Obi-Wan could imagine the look Mace would give him. Master Yoda would probably get a kick out of it, though. “You know, letting that tea go cold would also be a shame.”

Luminara shook her head at him and picked up the cup. “You’re going to need a more solid plan to take to the council.”

“Maybe,” Obi-Wan allowed as he sipped his own tea. “But first, I need to get past Healer Che and right now, that is far more daunting.”

Luminara hid her smile behind her cup. “Only you.”

……………………….

Two hours later Obi-Wan faced his fellow councilors. More than two thirds of them were present by holo vid.

“Let me see if I understand this correctly. You want to move troopers unable to fight to the AgriCorps,” Mace Windu said flatly. “Where they will learn trades with the intention of building a community. And you want to do it using military transport ships that you’ve stolen from the GAR.”

“Without letting the Senate or even other personnel in the GAR know,” Ki Adi Mundi added.

“Well, I suspect some of them will need to know,” Obi-Wan hedged. “We will need capable pilots, if we don’t have enough from the injured.”

“For your _stolen_ ships,” Mace repeated.

“First, they won’t be my ships,” Obi-Wan protested. “Second, technically, they’ll still be working for the GAR.”

“Not in an official capacity,” Eeth Koth pointed out.

“We could have them listed as being repaired,” Plo Koon offered thoughtfully. “Or undergoing maintenance.”

“That could work, but how often do ships get sent for repair or maintenance to the worlds we need them to get to?” Obi-Wan asked. “Maybe we can have some of them ‘testing’ new features?”

“Can we get any transports assigned to the medical stations?” Adi Gallia asked.

“There are only a few currently,” Plo told her. “And asking for more now might draw attention to them.”

“Don’t they regularly return to Kamino?” Kit Fisto asked.

“They did,” Shaak Ti replied solemnly. “Then I found out that they were killing the troopers and cremating them.”

“Ah, yes, my mistake,” Kit murmured. The reminder of that incident echoed in them all.

“So where have they been going since then?” Depa Billaba asked.

“We’ve had to build onto the barracks here,” Mace answered with a sigh. “Master Yoda and I were considering bringing up the subject of asking for another previously deserted space station.”

“Some of them might prefer that,” Saesee Tiin said. “It would be more familiar.”

Even Piell snorted. “It might help in the beginning, but people aren’t meant to live in space forever. And this plan seems designed with the ultimate goal of getting set up in their own community.”

“At the very least, a space station could move between systems more freely,” Saesee pointed out.

“You mean, more obviously,” Even grumbled. “Someone would see, which would make keeping it quiet harder.”

“Interesting, this plan is,” Yoda murmured thoughtfully. “Meditate on it, I will.”

“We should all meditate on it,” Mace agreed. He gave Obi-Wan his most stern look.

“Of course,” Obi-Wan said. “I’ve taken the liberty of sending a project briefing to each of you.”

“Excellent.” Kit grinned at them. “With the Fleets staying out of it, the rest of us may be able to come up with plans that aren’t ‘fly in and out’.”

“Those are often the best plans,” Plo told him.

“Not when you’re working with water,” Kit replied cheerfully.

“We aren’t talking about water,” Eeth grumbled.

“You aren’t.” Kit agreed. “But I’m always working in watery environments right now.”

“Environments,” Even murmured. “Yes. While it’s hardly universal, some of the peoples we’ve helped have offered temporary shelter.”

“Having a base, or bases, where the transports and their pilots would deploy from would be a good idea,” Plo said thoughtfully. “Especially if we could get them setup on worlds with harsher environments.”

“That would go a long way to helping this remain unnoticed,” Adi agreed.

“Plotting, you are,” Yoda announced as he looked at them sternly. “Against the Republic.”

“Not the Republic itself, or even the Senate, really,” Obi-Wan protested. “If we must say it’s against anyone, it’s against those in power determined to treat the GAR and the people who serve it as tools to be used and discarded. But I started this out of a desire to help these men and I am determined to do whatever I can to help them.”

“Even if that means going against the Republic?” Mace asked, his gaze piercing. “Because if the Senate, and especially the Chancellor, finds out about this, they will see it as a move against them.”

“This is not about going against the Republic,” Obi-Wan replied levelly. “Nor is it about undermining it or the Senate. My duty, above all else, is to serve the Force and help people where I can.”

“Well said,” Eeth said, nodding. “We cannot allow either the war or what the Senate dictates to override our primary mission any more than they already have.”

“It is in the best interest of the Republic and its people that we not lose sight of that,” Ki Adi agreed. “The Senate may be ruled by popular opinion and what is expedient, but that is not how the Force works.” Everyone murmured agreement.

“Proceed cautiously, we will,” Yoda announced heavily after a long moment. “To be done yet, much preparation there is. Consider your own talents, you should.”

“Yes, Master,” the rest of the council said together.

Obi-Wan wasn’t the only one to feel relieved. He caught Plo’s gaze.

‘ _Yes. We will teach them and help them build a home for all of our men_.’ Plo assured him telepathically. He reached out in the Force to brush against him, his quiet joy and hope mingling with Obi-Wan’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this as an exploration of what would be involved in a plan to provide for the clones what the Senate would not. It seems to me that many of the solutions the Jedi use for problems involve creating opportunities for others. I have another story set further along the timeline that explores some of the issues that could crop up around this, but I have a few other stories that come before it.

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't tag for Commander Wolffe because he's barely in this chapter and no where else. Plo, at least, will make another appearance.  
> *Updated on 10/27/20


End file.
